Australia -- Queensland Weather Update

MELBOURNE - Dec 1/12 - SNS -- The current forecast for the state of Queensland was released by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

Warning Summary at issue time
A Fire Weather Warning is current for the Channel Country for
the rest of today.
A Fire Weather Warning has been issued for the Channel Country, Maranoa and
Warrego districts and parts of the North West and Darling Downs and Granite Belt
district for Sunday.
For the latest warning information please check the Bureau's
web site www.bom.gov.au/qld
Weather Situation
A high [1023 hPa] in the Tasman Sea extends a ridge along the Queensland east
coast, this combined with a slow moving trough over central Australia and New
South Wales extends very hot northerly winds over western Queensland. The trough
will enter southwestern parts of the state this evening and move slowly east
during Sunday, with the hot airmass extending further east through central and
southeast districts during Sunday.
Forecast for the rest of Saturday
Isolated showers and thunderstorms over the tropics north of about Cooktown
and also near the Gulf of Carpentaria coast. Very isolated showers over the
remaining east tropical coast north of about Cardwell. Isolated late showers and
gusty thunderstorms in the far southwest but with little rainfall expected. Fine
and mostly clear elsewhere. Light to moderate SE to NE winds over the tropics
and central districts, fresh at times along the east coast. Moderate NW to NE
winds over the remainder, fresh and gusty at times through western districts and
along the coast. A Very High to Severe fire danger over Western districts. A
Very High fire danger over remaining parts of the interior, the Capricornia and
Wide Bay and Burnett districts.
Forecast for Sunday
Isolated showers and gusty thunderstorms through the interior west and south
of Charleville, spreading eastwards into southeast inland parts during the day,
particularly about the ranges. Mostly fine in the southeast apart from the
chance of isolated showers or storms south of about Brisbane in the evening.
Isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected over far northern Cape York
Peninsula and Torres Strait and also through the western Gulf Country. Isolated
morning showers along the east tropical coast. Fine and mostly sunny conditions
are expected elsewhere. Hot to very hot temperatures will persist across western
and southern Queensland. A Very High to Severe fire danger over Western
districts and the southern interior. A Very High fire danger over the Northern
Goldfields and Upper Flinders, the Central West, the Capricornia and Wide Bay
and Burnett districts.
Forecast for Monday
The ridge along the east coast will weaken further while the trough will most
likely extend from the northwest of the state into the southeastern interior.
The trough is expected to generate isolated showers and gusty thunderstorms over
southeast districts and the southern central interior, increasing to scattered
over the far southeast of the state during the afternoon due to the passage of
an upper trough and a more humid airmass. A slightly cooler, dry SW'ly wind flow
will extend into far southwestern Queensland. Patchy cloud will extend through
remaining western districts with the chance of isolated showers or storms though
with little or no rain. The tropics will remain mostly fine with only isolated
showers and possible storms through Torres Strait and near the southern Gulf of
Carpentaria coast. Hot to very hot temperatures will occur through the central
interior and southeast districts. An enhanced fire danger in western districts
and the southeast interior.
Forecast for Tuesday
The trough will most likely contract off the far southern Queensland coast
during the day, with a dry W'ly wind flow gradually extending through the
Southeast Coast district. The isolated shower and thunderstorm area should
therefore focus through the Wide Bay and Burnett, Capricornia and parts of the
Central Highlands and Coalfields districts. Isolated showers and thunderstorms
are again likely about the southern Gulf of Carpentaria coast, with isolated
showers also expected through Torres Strait. A high pressure system in the Great
Australian Bight should extend a drier S'ly airmass over the western and
southern interior in the wake of the trough, with only some patchy cloud in the
west though with little or no rain expected. Fine and mostly sunny conditions
will occur elsewhere. Very hot temperatures will occur over much of the state,
particularly through southeast and central districts with an enhanced fire
danger.
Forecast for Wednesday
The surface trough will most likely contract east off the Fraser coast into
the southern Coral Sea but slope back into the tropics. Isolated shower and
thunderstorm activity should therefore contract north into the tropics and
central coast. The high pressure system is expected to move slowly eastwards
towards southeastern Australia bringing milder conditions to the western
interior. Fresh S'ly winds should extend northwards along the Southeast
Capricornia coasts introducing isolated shower activity to the far southeast
coast late in the day. Conditions will remain fine and mostly sunny elsewhere.
Outlook for Thursday, Friday and Saturday
The high will move east over southeastern Australia and into the Tasman Sea
during Thursday, extending a ridge along the east Queensland coast and
contracting the trough into the northern interior. Fresh SE winds and will
extend north along the east coast to the tropics, injecting moisture into the
southern tropical interior. Isolated showers along the east coast with the focus
for thunderstorm activity shifting into the tropical interior. This trough will
retreat further west into western Queensland on Friday and remain near
stationary, with isolated showers and thunderstorms occurring through northern
and central districts to its east. Isolated coastal showers will contract into
the central and tropical coasts on Saturday. Temperatures will decrease through
southeastern and southern central districts during the outlook period as winds
tend cooler SE to NE'ly.
The next routine forecast will be issued at 4:45 am EST
Sunday.
Notice Board
Northwest Queensland weather radar installation complete
Media Releases
Meteorological Offices
Cairns weather
Charleville weather
Longreach weather
Mackay weather
Mount Isa weather
Rockhampton weather
Townsville weather
Weipa weather
Other Information
About Weather Forecast Services
About Warning Services
Warnings
Water
Climate
Environment
Tropical Cyclones
Tsunami Warning Centre
Agriculture - Water and the Land
Marine & Ocean
UV & Sun Protection
Rainfall & River Conditions
Graphical Views
Radar
Maps
Rainfall Forecasts
Seasonal Outlooks
Climate Variability & Change
Climate Data Online
Seasonal Streamflow Forecasts
Water Storage
Forecast Explorer™
National Weather Services
Aviation Weather Services
Defence Services
Space Weather Services
Registered User Services
Commercial Weather Services
Careers
Sitemap
Feedback
Freedom of Information
Indigenous Weather Knowledge
Glossary
This page was created at 07:30 on Saturday  1 December 2012 (GMT)
© Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2012, Bureau of Meteorology (ABN 92 637 533 532) | Disclaimer | Privacy | Accessibility
var hostname = window.location.hostname;
var host = hostname.split(".");
if (host[0] == "reg")
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-20386085-1']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
else if (host[0] == "www")
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-3816559-1']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
else if (host[0] == "wdev")
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-21709175-1']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
(function() {
var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true;
ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
})();

---

STAT News Service